• Question: Have you ever personally been to space

    Asked by Alexander Cochrane to Jon, COLFlight, Tom, Beth, Anne on 2 Oct 2015. This question was also asked by 275trn23, Random pixel addict, Hazzabloom2003, 181trn48, 955trn46, ryan.
    • Photo: Jonathan Scott

      Jonathan Scott answered on 2 Oct 2015:

      No, I have not, but there’s always hope…

    • Photo: Columbus Flight Directors

      Columbus Flight Directors answered on 3 Oct 2015:

      Simon:
      Hi Alexander! Unfortunately not! Currently only Astronauts and Space Tourists with access to millions of pounds, can go into space .

      However when I was studying at the International Space Unversity, I was able to participate in a Parabolic Flight Campaign in a commercial jet plane in California.

      A parabolic flight is achieved when a plane climbs steeply and then enters into a powered dive flying an arc shape in the sky. When the plane is in the arc the effects of gravity are cancelled out and the occupants of the plane float as if they were in space.

      This is a very useful way to train future astronauts and perform experiments before flying them in space.

      The European Space Agency uses Novospace airplanes for these activities. Checkout their website and video:

      http://www.novespace.fr/en,home.html

      Hundreds of Astronauts, researchers and tourists have experienced space this way! If you have a great idea for an experiment maybe you can make a parabolic flight in the future too!

    • Photo: Beth Healey

      Beth Healey answered on 5 Oct 2015:

      Hi Alexander,

      No but I would love to go!!

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